Hobby Hall improves shopping experience with IBM WebSphere Commerce
Stockmann is a Finnish listed company engaged in the retail trade. The company was established in 1862 and it has over 15 000 employees. Consolidated sales amounted to EUR 2.3 billion in 2008. Stockmann's four divisions are the Department Store Division, fashion chains Lindex and Seppälä, and Hobby Hall, the market leader of distant sales in Finland.
The online sales of Hobby Hall started in 2000. Today Hobby Hall has over 1.1 million customers and more than 1.6 million packages are sent out yearly. In 2008 the total sales in Finland and the Baltics was €191 million.
Challenge
Hobby Hall wanted to replace the old online store platform with a more flexible and scalable solution that supports the growing number of customers and meets with business needs. The company also wished to boost customer service experience with the launch of new services. The company looked for a solution which is easy to expand and support and which enables the launch of new web shops.
Solution
The new online store, powered by IBM WebSphere Commerce, takes customer self service to new levels. It allows customers to track their orders, review order history, send feedback, recommend a product to a friend, receive personalized offerings and much more. IBM Premier Business Partner Descom implemented the solution and provided integration with the existing back-end systems.
The new Hobby Hall online store was launched in July 2009 receiving excellent reviews in an extensive customer survey. Stockmann has plans to expand the solution inside the company with other web shops.
Benefits
- Modern technology - easier to expand with new and better services
- Easier maintenance for Hobby Hall administrators
- Better customer self service
- New functionalities: personalized views, loyal customer, intelligent offer, new payment methods, search engine optimization etc.
Nordic e-Commerce Group
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leveraging ibm software
